Chapter 193: If It Doesn’t Work, Find the Clan Leader
With a thunderous bang, Bai Fu overturned the table. Despite his age, his hearing was sharp, and hearing the words of Lin Ping Er, he felt the young woman was mocking his life-long occupation as a Scholar.
Seeing his grandfather in such a rage, Bai Zehao quickly stood in front of his mother, fearing that she might become the target of his grandfather’s fury.
Lin Ping Er was initially frightened, but after regaining her composure, she felt confident she was not wrong. If only the old man hadn’t been so oppressive, she would not have spoken out.
"Well, it seems you’ve all grown wings now, looking down on this old man," the old man shouted angrily.
Upon hearing the commotion, the old lady rushed over. As soon as she entered the room, she exclaimed, "What has happened? What is it?"
Bai Yibo and Wang Family also hurried over, even though Bai Yibo’s clothes were somewhat disheveled, making it uncertain whether he had been sleeping or otherwise occupied. Wang Shi’s hairpins were also scattered about.
It was impossible for the third brother, Bai Zehao, to rush over, while Bai Ruolan dared not enter the room. However, she was very curious and looked in from outside. Her timid and shrunken demeanor only served to highlight her insignificance.
Bai Yibo had always been good at winning his father’s favor. He quickly approached the old man, patting his back to soothe him, persuading, "Dad, the second son simply does not understand. Please don’t let them upset you. A good scolding from you will suffice."
Bai Zepei seemed to have a strong dislike for Bai Yibo. He didn’t want to continue arguing with the people in the old mansion either. He bowed to his grandfather, saying, "Grandpa, we will consider what you said. For the benefit of earning more money, we will relocate to the town today."
Gasping heavily, the grandfather objected, "To live in the town for what? Even if you earn a little more money, it will not be enough to cover your extravagant spending!"
On the way back, Bai Zepei had made it clear to his family. If the old man didn’t oust them, they wouldn’t bring up their temporary stay at the Xie Residence.
"We calculated that traveling back and forth between the two sites wastes time and costs transport money. It’s better to stay in the town and sell more food. It would be more tiring, but could bring in more income," Bai Zepei asserted.
Having calmed down slightly, the old man considered this for a while. "You all are working too hard. Ask your Aunt to help. She should lend a hand, and you can share the profits with her."
Bai Yihong was so enraged at this point, he rebuked, "What can our sister-in-law do? We dare not ask her for help! Father, let’s not touch upon this topic. We have no time to spare and will take our leave now!"
The old man was filled with rage again, pointing at Bai Yihong and cursing, "Unfilial children! Unfilial children!"
Without further ado, the family turned to leave, fearing the old man might prevent them from departing.
The old man pursued them for a few steps, but the members of the Second House were so agile that he knew he wouldn’t be able to catch them. As they left, he shouted, "On the first day of the next month, I will host a feast in the yard to celebrate the addition of two new Scholars to the Bai family. I have invited everyone from Fengye Village, and you all should come over and help prepare the meal!"
By ’Fengye Village,’ he was referring to the families of Bai Fu’s younger brother and cousin. Bai Fu didn’t have a good relationship with them, so he generally didn’t mention their names and simply referred to them as ’those from Fengye Village’.
Bai Yihong paused, responded sulkily, "I understand," and then fled with his family.
The old man’s face grew cold and dark. Bai Yibo, who was standing beside him, comforted him, "Father, they have become undutiful, but don’t get angry. Er Lang wants to pursue an official career, and he can’t afford to have a reputation for being undutiful."
As if enlightened, the old man’s eyes brightened. He nodded and said, "You’re right. Let them go today, but they must inevitably lend a hand to you when the time comes. We can’t let them waste the precious opportunity you’ve worked so hard to secure."
Bai Yibo agreed, his face lit up with a smug smile.
After leaving the old mansion, Lin Ping Er asked the others to return home to tidy up while she went to the Wan Family to speak to Wan Su Shi. The arranged marriage of Bai Zehao and Wan Caiyue was scheduled to take place in October. As peasants, they didn’t have many rituals. Once the betrothal gift was given, they would just need to host a few banquet tables on the wedding day.
The Bai family was moving houses, and it was necessary to inform the Wan family, who were now in-laws. Given that the two families had not officially held the wedding ceremony yet, it was appropriate for Lin Ping Er to discuss the matter with Wan Su Shi.
Wan Su Shi was surprised, but after Lin Ping Er explained the situation, she immediately agreed, saying, "This is a good thing. Your family is all hardworking and willing to work. I’m sure your life will become more and more prosperous in the future."
Pleased, Lin Ping Er took Wan Su Shi’s hand and chatted for another while. Before long, she brought up what had just happened at the old mansion. When Wan Su Shi heard about the old man’s request, she let out a cold laugh and murmured, "Your grandfather is too biased. Since you have all split from the family, it shouldn’t be your responsibility to serve his eldest son. I suggest you discuss this issue with the head of the Bai family clan. Don’t let the old man’s foolishness jeopardize Er Lang’s bright future."
"You’re right. I’ll ask Zehao’s father to speak with the clan leader. We can’t continue like this. They always threaten us by accusing Er Lang of being undutiful," Lin Ping Er said, shaking her head helplessly.
"Ah, each family has its own difficulties. If it were any other family in the village, my father-in-law, Wan Qilao, could have mediated. But your grandfather prides himself as a Scholar. Even the Village Head may not dare to reason with him. We can’t be of much help," Wan Su Shi apologized.
Lin Ping Er held her hand, saying, "Thank you for your kind concern, mother-in-law. Let’s not trouble Wan Qilao anymore. We’ll slowly manage the situation."
After saying a few more words to Wan Su Shi, Lin Ping Er finally returned home. Back at her house, Wan Su Shi relayed Lin Ping Er’s intentions and the issue of favoritism in the Bai family to her father-in-law and husband. Wan Qilao sighed, "The marriage alliance with Caiyue is quite good. Zehao is a reliable and hardworking lad, and they will surely have a good life in the future. Zehao’s parents are also kind people, and they definitely won’t treat Caiyue unfairly. The problem is the constant trouble from the Bai ancestral home. I’m afraid Caiyue might get caught up in the drama."
Wan Caiyue’s parents sighed along with him, but every family has their share of troubles, don’t they? Fortunately, the people from the Second House of the Bai family are all decent, which makes Wan Caiyue quite lucky.
That afternoon, the Second House moved to the town. Many people asked about their move. To this, Bai Yihong responded, "Our business is in the town. Living there would be more convenient and would allow us to earn more money during the farm slack period."
As Bai Zehao and Lin Ping Er led a pig towards the town, they saw a small figure standing under a tree at the Entrance of the Village, coldly watching them.
Everyone felt a sting in their eyes, because Xiaosi under the tree seemed especially frail, exuding a sense of loneliness.
The child had returned to the village by noon and didn’t go to the Xie Residence with Bai Ruozhu and the others. They were afraid that if he stayed away for too long, he might be scolded by the people of the old mansion, so they didn’t stop him.
"I wanted to see you off," Xiaosi spoke with his usual icy tone, appearing far beyond his six years of age.
With a feeling of heartache, Lin Ping Er dabbed the corner of her eyes and tidied up Xiaosi’s clothes. It was getting colder, but no one had thought to get him an extra layer of clothing.
"Go home and tell your mom you’re cold. If you get sick, the family will have to spend money on medicine," Bai Zepei, discerning the intentions of his mother, quietly said to Xiaosi.